1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mite repellant and/or miticide composition having an excellent anti-mite effect on mites infesting houses.
2. Discussion of the Background
A great number of the mites inhabit places poor in air permeability, such as interiors of carpets, sofas, blankets, comforters and bedclothes or mattresses. The mites in houses can form the cause of allergic disease such as bronchial asthema and allergic rhinitis, and dermatisis, and so various exterminators have been developed.
As mite repellant and/or miticide compositions, are used various kinds of agents such as pyrethroids, carbamates and organophosphorus compounds. However, these agents are high in toxicity and are not preferable from the viewpoint of safety in houses, particularly, homes having children. These conventional mite repellant and/or miticide compositions have been particularly weak in effect in places poor in air permeability, such as interiors of carpets, sofas, blankets, comforters and bedclothes due to their low volatility even if the effect is achieved in a place on which such an agent is directly spread.
Since the dead bodies and excrements of mites are also allergens, there is a demand for development of an exterminator that not only directly kills mites, but also has a strong 4 repellent effect. Mite eliminators (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 104905/1988 and 87409/1998) containing linalool or carvone of a plant essential oil component that is considered to be comparatively high in safety have been proposed as mite repellents. However, the effects of these agents are also not sufficient.